


In my dreams

by Chiaramarcella



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Sleeping Curse, cursed regina, pre emma arrival storybrooke
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-13
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2019-01-17 00:40:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12353829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chiaramarcella/pseuds/Chiaramarcella
Summary: Emma Swan falls asleep every night in her own bed in Boston but wakes up in an unknown forest. Where she quite literally meets the woman of her dreams, Regina. Soon she finds herself counting down the hours until she can go to sleep and spend time with Regina in her dreams. But what if Regina doesn't only exist in her dreams? What if she is a real person waiting to be woken up from a sleeping curse?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I've been working on this idea ever since the episode came out where Regina and Emma are watching henry while you hear ''If i see you in my dreams tonight.'' play in the background and this idea popped into my head. Hope you enjoy :)

Recognize the feeling of falling when you just closed your eyes and drifted off in a deep sleep?

This was what Emma experienced, but instead of the ceiling she counted on seeing when she opened her eyes in shock she now saw a dark sky full of stars – some hidden behind the branches of a tree. In confusion she got up, taking in her surroundings once more. She was in a forest which she had never seen before. She took the dirt of her pajama bottoms and started walked the moonlit path, hoping to find someone who could tell her where she was.

After a few minutes of walking -and of course tripping over a branches a couple times along the way- the air started getting colder and as the trees made an opening Emma understood why. In front of her was a lake, it was still and the reflection of the moonlight and thousands of stars above her made the water shimmer like an expensive diamond, like the ones she saw in the magazines for rich people. This place seemed so much brighter and without giving it a second thought Emma started walking to it, feeling the pebbles underneath her bare feet. At the beginning of the lake laid a fallen over tree trunk, she sat down on it and a cold breeze made her shiver. She wrapped her arms around herself in hope to feel a little bit warmer.

She closed her eyes and it wasn’t until she heard something move behind her that she abruptly opened her eyes and turned around. The moon gave her enough light to make out the silhouette from a woman, standing uncertain in the distance but when she noticed Emma looking her whole body language changed and she confidently walked over to her. The closer the stranger got the better Emma could see her face and realized this woman wouldn’t do her any harm. She was stunning, short brown hair and dark brown eyes that seemed to look right into her soul. She wore black trousers with a white shirt on top of that and Emma was extremely aware of her pajamas -which were just blue shorts with a white tanktop- and covered herself even more with her arms.

When the woman stood in front of her they both stared at each other for a moment -saying nothing- just taking in each other's presence. From this close Emma saw that the woman looked tired, she tried to hide it with the way she carried herself as royalty but the dark bags underneath her eyes gave it away. Not that this took away anything of her beauty.

‘’Hi.’’ Emma greeted.

‘’Hi.’’ The stranger said ‘’What are you doing here?’’

‘’I was actually hoping you could tell me, the last thing I remember was falling asleep and then I woke up here in the middle of the forest.’’

‘’You are under a sleeping curse too.’’ The brunette replied.

‘’What? A sleeping curse?’’ Emma giggled ‘’Like in the Disney movie, sleeping beauty? I’m not Aurora if that’s what you were wondering.’’

The stranger rolled her eyes and walked away while mumbling: ‘’She’s from the normal world.’’ underneath her breath, thinking of the normal world, where she was supposed to be, with her son not to mention. Now she was here with a blonde woman who had no idea what she was talking about.

‘’I’m Emma by the way! Emma Swan.’’ The blonde caught up with her and was now walking next to her, for the second time the woman rolled her eyes at the stranger she now knew was called Emma.

‘’Regina.’’

‘’Hi Regina. You just said that I was under a sleeping curse too, what did you mean by that?’’

‘’Never mind. Just forget about it.’’ Regina tried to sound nice but her tone said that this was a warning to immediately drop the topic and something inside Emma told her that she shouldn’t keep pushing this time, so she let it go.

‘’Okay no sleeping curse talk. But where are you going?’’

‘’To my house.’’

‘’You have a house here?”

‘’Yes I have a house here Em-ma. Where would I be living otherwise? Sleeping in a tree? Making food on a campfire? Singing songs with rabbits and deer?’ Regina said sarcastically. Emma shivered again and this time goose bumps formed on her skin. But it wasn’t because she was cold but because of the way Regina had just said her name. It had an effect on her that she didn't like nor understood in the least.

‘’Jeez, I was just wondering. By the way that does sounds like a lot of fun if you ask me.’’

‘’’Well I’m not asking you.’

’ After a few minutes of walking in silence -Emma decided not to talk anymore since everything she said annoyed this woman and so far she was the only person who could help her around here- they arrived at a white mansion. ‘’This is your house?!’’

‘’Yes it is.’’ The sleeping curse might not come across as bad when you saw this, she had a house in the forest, the town was close by, there were people that would kill to have this. But the real curse was that she was separated from her son. He was the only person that mattered to her, and now she had no idea when or if she would see him again. To Regina that was torture.

‘’Now are you going to stand there and stare at my house for the rest of the night or are you coming inside? We need to get you into some warmer clothes because you’re freezing.’’

They walked inside and Emma couldn’t believe her eyes, the entrance hall was massive with a big staircase with marble steps and the ceiling was fully made out of glass which offered a view to the stars. Emma followed Regina up the marble stairs and into her bedroom. She looked around the room, knowing too damn well that she shouldn't, but Emma had always been a curious person and she stopped trying to hide it a while ago. The entire room was tidy and the king-sized bed was perfectly made. Then again this didn't come as a surprise since Regina didn't seem like the type of woman that would leave things messy.

‘’Sit here and don’t touch anything, I’ll get you some clothes.’’ Regina pointed to a big chair next to the window. Emma sat down while Regina disappeared into another part of the room which probably was her walk-in closet. Even though she was told to not touch anything she couldn’t resist picking up a book from the bookshelf next to her and flipped through a few pages. She soon came to the conclusion that it was a book just as boring as every book she had ever read.

‘’Here you go dear, I’’ll just pretend like you didn’t just touch something when I told you not to.’’ Regina dropped the clothes on the bed and then walked out of the room to let Emma change her clothes. ‘

’It’s a boring book anyway.’’ Emma mumbled as she stood up.

 

Emma came in the kitchen wearing a blue dress and gave Regina a goofy smile while pulling on the end of the dress. Regina looked at her from head to toe and then burst out laughing ‘’Not used to wearing dressed I can see.’’

‘’Well no I don’t see why anyone would torture themselves by wearing something that crawls up your thighs every step you take. I’m more of a tanktop and jeans kind of girl.’’

The brunette just shook her head and put a cup of coffee in front of her. ‘’Thought you might want something to drink.’’

‘’Thank you.’’ The blonde wrapped her hands around the mug and let it warm up her hands for a second, then she brought the mug to her mouth and took a big sip, as soon as the hot beverage went down her throat she relaxed a little bit more and sat down on a chair. ‘’What time is it?’’

Regina pointed at a big clock behind her. ‘’It’s a quarter to four in the morning. I reckon you got here around three.’’

''I still don't understand why I'm even here. It doesn't make the least bit of sense.''

''It is kind of strange indeed.'' Regina looked thoughtful.

''I'm glad you took me with you to your house though. For what I know I would still be wandering around the woods by now in my pajama's.''

''Well to be fair I didn't take you with me. I just went back home and somehow you decided to tag along, Miss Swan.''

''Miss swan. That's extremely formal to call someone who is at your house around this time.'' Emma laughed. ''I've even been in your bedroom.'' She wiggled her eyebrows at Regina who didn't look as amused.

''Don't go making yourself any illusions. I've known you for 45 minutes now, I think Miss Swan fits perfectly in this situation.''

Emma shrugged. ''I liked the way you called me Emma better.''

''Of course you-'' Regina's sentence got interrupted by a loud bang in the other room, both women turned their head in the direction where the sound came from. ''I'm just going to check the living room for a second, you stay here.''

 

''Don't worry I don't have anywhere else to go do I?'' Emma joked.

Regina walked in the living room but there was no sign of anything that could've made that noise. She glanced around the room one more time before turning around and walking back into the kitchen. ''It must've been an animal outside, nothing seems out of the ordinary.'' The brunette said as she walked back. But when she came in the kitchen she realized she was talking to nobody. Emma was gone and the only signs that she had actually been here were the dress laying on the ground and the half empty cup of coffee.


	2. Chapter 2

That night Emma woke up again laying on the cold ground in the same forest as the night before. But this time she knew exactly what to do, she got up and started walking the path to Regina's house that she walked with her yesterday. If she was going to be stuck here again for a whole night the least she could do was spend it with someone so she wouldn't be alone. At least that is what she told herself. The truth was that when she layed in bed that night trying to fall asleep, the last thing she did before she dozed off was wishing that she'd wake up again in the forest so she could find regina. She was intrigued by the woman and wanted to know more about her. Especially what happened in her life that made her so distant and closed. So when she arrived at Regina's house and knocked on the door she prayed that she was home, but what could a woman be doing in the middle of the night?  
After a minute the door opened and Emma stood face to face with Regina, she was wearing a black silk robe and her hair was messy, she yawned which was another sign that she was asleep when Emma knocked on the door. Suddenly Emma felt out of place and guilty that she woke her up, she smiled sheepishly.   
"Um hi, sorry for waking you up. I went to sleep and then I woke up here again. And this was the only logical place to go to for me." Emma explained herself. She prepared herself for a speech from Regina as to why she shouldn't have done that because she wanted to sleep but she was surprised when Regina didn't.  
"Come in, Emma." She stepped away from the door so Emma could walk in and then closed the door behind her. It wasn't exactly a warm welcome but it was way better than Emma had hoped.  
They sat down on the couch this time with a glass of apple cider, Emma on one end of the couch and Regina on the other end.   
"So you woke up here again huh?" Regina took a sip.  
"Yes, I have no idea why it happened again. It's like I'm cursed or something." She laughed but stopped immideatly when she noticed she was the only one. Regina was just staring at her glass in silence. When she felt Emma's eyes on her she looked up and forced herself to smile.   
She needed to put her walls up and not show this woman her emotions. To Emma she was just a woman in her dreams, someone to make time pass until she wakes up again to live her life. In the normal world where magic doesn't exist and that's how Regina knows that Emma will never believe nor understand her if she told her why she lived in this forest.   
"This apple cider tastes amazing." Emma said, locking eyes with Regina.   
"Yeah it's okay. I used to make it myself back ho-" She stopped in the middle of her sentence as if she said something wrong "Back when it used to be one of my hobbies. It tasted a million times better than this if I say so myself."   
"Why'd you stop?"   
"I don't know." But she did know. She missed making apple cider as much as everything else of her life in Storybrooke. The curse was what made her stop, there was no point in making apple cider here. She would feel silly doing so.   
"Guess life got in the way." She replied instead.  
"That's a pity. The only thing I can make myself that tastes somehow acceptable is a grilled cheese."  
Regina looked at her in disgust "Don't tell me you actually eat that sandwich made out of grease."   
"The greasier the better if you ask me." She shrugged and smiled at the brunette "Don't fool yourself I am sure you would kill to eat a grilled cheese instead of.. what do you eat? You look like a person that eats salads."  
"No I won't kill to eat a grilled cheese because the grilled cheese would kill me instead." She shook her head at Emma.  
"And I eat kale salads to be precise."   
"Ha I knew it!" Emma triumphed. "You would love my grilled cheese believe me. I've mastered myself at making them over the years."   
"I wouldn't, believe me. You should eat my kale salad. It can't do you any good to eat that unhealthy all the time."   
"I'm not a toddler I eat vegetables from time to time. I just don't do salads, or kale." She laughed.   
"You know what? Let's settle this. I'll make you my famous grilled cheese and I'll eat your kale salad. We will see who wins."   
"So now it's your famous grilled cheese? What's next you'll tell me that the president tried it and loved it." She teased. She rolled her eyes at Emma and Emma stuck out her tongue as a reply.   
"To be fair I would be prouder of you liking my grilled cheese after all the bad words you've spoken about it. Poor grilled cheese. It's heart must be broken by now." Emma held her hand on her heart and made a pouty face at Regina. It was quite the cute view. It made her almost give in to Emma's words. Almost.  
"You couldn't make a grilled cheese for me now anyways. I don't have any cheese right now."  
"Make sure you have it next time I'm here." She grimaced when she realized what she said. "If there even is a next time. We'll have to see next time I fall asleep."   
"I'll think about it." She replied not fully convinced.   
But something made Regina go to the store that next morning to buy everything Emma needed and when she put the groceries away she caught herself hoping Emma would stand here in the kitchen that night making her a grilled cheese. 

Regina couldn't help her heart from skipping a beat when she heard the doorbell that next night. She walked up to the door and stood face to face with Emma when she opened it, of course this was no surprise.   
Emma's eyes looked up and down the former queen's body and gave her a wide smile "You were expecting me to come."   
"How did you draw that conclusion, Miss Swan?" Regina asked confused.  
"Your hair is styled perfectly and you are wearing a day time outfit. You haven't slept yet. So you were waiting for me."   
Regina sighed as she turned around and walked up to the kitchen. "Well I couldn't wait to have you eat vegetables for the first time in.. what? Ten years?"   
"Hm I'm sure that's it. You are just dying to taste my grilled cheese, admit it." Emma teased back as she followed Regina to the kitchen.   
"Yeah dying sounds about right. That's what that grilled cheese of yours is going to do to me." She winked.  
" I went out to buy groceries this morning and bought you some cheese."   
Emma scanned the groceries layed out om the kitchen counter, these were the exact products she used at home but these were the expensive version. If she couldn't win Regina over before she definitely would now.  
"Since I won't need a stove for the kale salad I suggest you use that part of the kitchen and I'll use the other half, so we don't stand in the way for each other."   
"Alright, perfect. Still can't believe I'm actually about to eat a kale salad. If I like it then you definitely have magic or something."   
"Can you imagine that." The brunette answered, knowing Emma didn't understand the irony in what she just said.   
"But I know you're gonna like it. Even someone like you that eats like a child."  
"Hey! I don't eat like a child!" Emma tried to defend herself.  
"Well, tell me dear. What did you eat yesterday for dinner?"   
"I ate a hamburger with fries at this amazing new place in town. It was so good. Even better than the one at my go-to burger place. They put this delicious sauce on it. My god I'm drooling even thinking about it."  
Regina raised her eyebrow. "I've never seen anyone get this excited over a hamburger. You even have a go-to burger place. I think I made my point."   
"No you-" she grimaced " okay I can't argue with you on that. Let's go and cook."   
"Trying to change the subject huh." Regina laughed.   
"But alright, let's make the food. The sooner we settle this the better

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be continued very soon :)


End file.
